A variety of enclosure systems, also known as terrariums, have been developed for keeping or raising and observing animals or plants. Typically, these enclosure systems have a common rectangular shape and are wholly or predominantly enclosed in a glass type container. In many circumstances, the prior art rectangular enclosure is open at the top for providing a singular point of entry to the interior of the enclosure. Often, a mesh screen or lid having an illumination device is positioned over the top of the rectangular enclosure to fully enclose the system.
Such prior art enclosures are not only bulky and heavy due to their unnecessary weight and arrangement of components, but they exhibit extremely poor viewing characteristics during observation of animals or plants having a relatively small size. This is due in part because the observer is unable to view the inhabitants of the enclosure in their natural state by looking downward from above, which is common and indeed necessary in many situations.
The obtrusive top of the prior art enclosure not only adds to the problem set forth above, but makes accessing the interior of the container for any purpose both difficult and burdensome as the user must blindly reach downward into the container without adequate visual ability. This is not only dangerous depending on the natural characteristics of the inhabitant, but it is intrusive and disturbing to the inhabitant and disruptive to the natural habitat.
The prior art enclosure have a further disadvantage in that they do not provide or maintain a controlled natural warm ambient air temperature through the interior as is required for many reptile or plant inhabitants, and instead, allow the air to readily enter and escape through the opened top.
Finally, another problem that plagues users of terrarium enclosure systems is the numerous components which must be purchased and assembled in order to provide a desired natural environment for an inhabitant. This hodgepodge of components is often unsatisfactory leading to complication and high cost. In their frustration, many users simply resort to an aquarium type container which, although useful for their intended purposes, present many serious disadvantages when applied to a terrarium enclosure system as set forth above.